IT Strategy Process

IT Strategic Planning Process is the sequential, and systematic steps taken to create an IT Strategy for the information technology of an organization. The IT strategic planning process plays a crucial role in aligning an organization's technology initiatives with its business goals, ensuring efficient resource allocation, risk management, and future readiness, thereby driving overall organizational success and competitiveness. The result of the IT strategic process is a comprehensive roadmap that aligns IT capabilities with business objectives, detailing specific actions, timelines, resources, and governance structures required to effectively implement and manage technology in support of the organization's overall goals.

IT Strategic Planning Process is Phased

An IT Strategy can be developed in phases with each phase a logical grouping of a subset of steps required to create a part of the technology strategic plan with all phases together comprising all the steps required to create an IT Strategy.

IT Strategic Planning Process is Iterative

IT Strategy can also be developed in multiple "do and learn" cycles called iterations. An iterative process to formulate IT Strategy usually results in superior business value creation because the team has the benefit of learning from the previous cycle.

The Complete IT Strategic Planning Cycle

IT Strategy is part of an overall process that starts with the development of a business strategy and ends with an IT Operating Model

• Business Strategy
• IT Strategy (Information Technology Strategy)
• IT Roadmap
• IT Operating Model

Along the IT strategic planning process, there are critical dependencies between the following:

• IT Governance
• Enterprise Architecture
• Project Portfolio Management (PPM)
• Stage-Gate

IT Strategy Process Help

There are three things that help in the development of a strategic plan for information technology:

• IT Strategy Methodology: The development of IT Strategy usually follows a structured approach aka IT Strategy Methodology
• IT Strategy Framework: The "equation" that solved the IT Strategy puzzle or components of IT Strategy and their inter-relationships is called IT Strategy Framework. An IT Strategy Framework when combined with an IT Strategy Process is an IT Strategy Methodology.
• IT Strategy Template: A ready-to-use, fillable, guideline for the IT Strategy Plan Document
• IT Strategy Tool: A software system to assist with the steps, collaboration, and documentation along the IT Strategy creation journey

IT Strategy Example Plans can provide CIOs guidance on the IT Strategy Framework and IT Strategy Process used by their peers to create favorable outcomes and serve as a template to create their own IT Strategy Plans.

IT Strategy Process results in the creation of a strategic plan for information technology. This key deliverable produced by this process is based upon an IT Strategy Template which lays out the key elements of the strategy and plan. Therefore, IT Strategy Template is an integral part of the process to create an IT Strategy.

Examples of IT Strategy Process

There is no industry standard for developing an IT Strategy. Consequently, there are many different processes used for strategic planning in an IT Organization. There are common threads between each of these but each is unique in its own way. Here are some samples of processes used for IT Strategic plan development.

Figure 1: IT Strategy Development Process Steps

source: AE Partners

Figure 2: How to Create a Strategic Plan for IT

source: CSM Technologies

Figure 3: Steps to Develop an IT Strategy (Align Business with IT)

source: CIO Index

Figure 4: IT Strategy Development Process Steps

Figure 5: IT Strategy Development Process Steps

source: Puffin Advisors

See Also

• IT Capability
• Business IT Alignment

References =

Further Reading

• What is the actual process to develop an IT strategy?
• IT Strategy Guide